Nanopaper based on Ag/TiO2 nanobelts heterostructure for continuous-flow photocatalytic treatment of liquid and gas phase pollutants

Highlights: ► The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanobelts is evidently enhanced by the heterostructures between Ag nanoparticles and TiO2 nanobelts. ► The nanopapers based on Ag/TiO2 nanobelt heterostructures are fabricated via a modified paper-making process. ► A continuous flow photocatalytic reactor is designed. ► The TiO2 nanopapers in the microreactor show an excellent continuous photocatalytic performance for liquid and gas phase pollutants. ► The Ag/TiO2 nanobelts nanopaper shows a good antibacterial effect. - Abstract: The Ag/TiO2 nanobelt heterostructures were prepared by the acid-assisted hydrothermal method followed by an in situ photo-reduction process. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanobelts was evidently enhanced by the heterostructures between Ag nanoparticles and TiO2 nanobelts. The nanopapers based on Ag/TiO2 nanobelt heterostructures were fabricated via a modified paper-making process. A novel continuous photocatalytic reactor was designed, and MO removal rate of Ag/C–TiO2 nanopaper was achieved to 100% in 40 min for single layer and only in 6 min for three layers. The self-supported TiO2 nanopapers with porous structures also showed an excellent continuous photocatalytic performance for toluene gas under UV light irradiation, and the corresponding degradation rate was 69.5% in 184 min. Moreover, the Ag/TiO2 nanobelts nanopaper showed a good antibacterial effect. The multifunctional TiO2 nanopapers modified by the heterostuctures could have potential applications in the environmental and biomaterial fields.